Bottle-filling machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. W. M. FOWLER.

BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

N0. 554.999. Patented Feb: 18, 1896.

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RA IAM PHUTO-UTNO.WASHI New 0 C (No Model.)

I '2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. M. FOWLER.

BOTTLE FILLING MAOHINE.

Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MILES FOWLER, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BOTTLE-FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,999, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed November 19, 1895. Serial No. 569,379. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MILES Fow- LER, of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bottle-Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in bottle-filling machines in which one or more disch arging-tubes arranged to enter the neck or necks of bottles is or are provided with means for automatically shutting off the discharge when the liquid reaches a predetermined height within the bottle or bottles.

My present invention is more particularly directed to means for cutting off the air-escape at variable heights,means for insuring the free escape of the air from within the bottle without liability of becoming choked from the passage of liquid through the airvent, means for supporting the disk which closes the mouth of the bottle and for adjusting it relatively to the point of discharge, means for determining the height of the liquid in the distributing-reservoir and preventing it from entering the air-vent tubes from the fillers, and means for feeding bottles successively beneath the filling-tubes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aview of the machine in perspective. Fig. 2 is a vertical section from front to rear. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in vertical section through one of the filling-tubes and the portion of the distributing-reservoir in proximity thereto. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in detail of the float and valve for closing the exit of air from the distributing-reservoir, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in detail of the dog for feeding the bottle supportingcarriage and means for throwing it into and out of engagement with the rackbar on said carriage.

The form of supporting-frame which I have chosen at present for mounting the operative parts of the machine consists of a table A supported upon legs a, and standards B B uprising from two opposite sides of the table A.

On the table A there is mounted a bottlesupporting carriage C for conveying the bottles in banks successively beneath a range of fillers D. The bottle-supporting carriage C has imparted to it a step-by-step movement as follows: A rack-bar c is secured to and extends along the under side of the carriage. A dog E, provided with a mouth 6 for the reception of one of the teeth of the rack-bar c, is pivoted, as at e, to a clip 6 fixed to a pistonrod F. working within a cylinder f, fixed to the supporting-frame and provided with an air-vent f atits end to serve as a dash-pot to relieve the shock caused by the stopping of the advance movement of the table. The clip 6 is provided with a slot 6 within which a pin 9, carried by the link G, slides. The link G is connected to one arm, h, of an an gle-lever pivoted to a suitable hanger a on the supportingframe, as at II, its opposite arm having suspended therefrom a weight h sufficient to rock the lever in a direction to return the dog E for a new hold of the rack-bar when the weight it is permitted to act upon the anglelever. The rod which forms a support for the weight 71- is denoted by h and is extended downwardly past the weight into a tube 7L3 pivotally secured at 7V to the foot-lever I. The foot-lever I is pivoted to the supportingframe at a and has an operating-treadle 2'. Intermediate of the free end of the tube 7L3 and a collar 71., fixed on the rod 71 there is located a spring h which yields when the operating-lever I is forcibly lifted so as to give a gradual start to the rocking movement of the lever, pivoted at H, and so gradually start the bottle-supporting carriage O. The lever I is forced upwardly when released by the foot, after its downward movement, by a spring K of sufficient power to overcome the weight h and impart to the carriage a prompt advance movement. I

The dog F. hereinabove referred to is provided with a projection 6 (clearly indicated in Fig. 6) which, when the pin g is at one end 9 of the slot 6 rests upon the said pin and holds the dog up into engagement with the rack-bar c, as shown in Fig. 2, but when the pin g is at the opposite end of the slot e will permit the dog E to drop out of engagement with the teeth of the rack-bar c.

The operation of the feed is as follows:

The piston-rod F carries a piston f When the foot-lever I is depressed, the shaft 71 is lowered and the weight It is permitted to exert its force to rock the angle-lever pivoted at H. The first part of the rocking movement of the an gle-lever will draw the link G in a direction to move the pin 9 to the opposite end of the slot a and thereby permit the dog E to drop out of engagement with the rack-bar. The further rocking movement of the angle-lever will draw the dog E bodily along to the rear a distance sulficient to advance a succeeding bank of bottles beneath the fillers and at the same time draw the piston f away from the bottom of the cylinder 1". \Vhen the lover I is released and permitted to return under the tension of the spring K, the spring h will at first be compressed, gradually lifting the weight it and rocking the angle-lever in a direction to move the pin 9 on the link G to the front end of the slot 6, thereby engaging and lifting the dog E into engagement with the rack-bar, and the further upward movement of the lever I will move the dog E, and the carriage G with it, forward to the limit of its stroke, its arrest beinggradual and gentle, because of the cushioning of the air between the piston f and the end of the cylinder f The range of fillers 1), corresponding in number to the number of bottles in one of the banks carried by the carriage O, depends from a distributing-reservoir L mounted between the standards B to be vertically reciprocated. In the present instance I have shown the distributing-reservoir L attached to slides b, fitted to move on suitable ways on the adjacent faces of the standards B, the said slides I) being connected by rods 1) with the operatinglever I, so that when the operating-lever I is depressed it will lower the distributing-reservoir L and the range of fillers D connected therewith, and when the operating-lever I is released the distributing-reservoir L and the range of fillers depending therefrom will be lifted by the force of the spring K.

The distributing-reservoir L is provided with a central dome l for the reception of a float I, which, as the liquid in the reservoir L rises, will gradually lift, and when the liquid reaches a predetermined height will close the air-escape passage Z at the top of the dome by means of a valve Z connected with the float l by a rod Z. The distributing-reservoir L has a suitable flexible connection I with a source of supply. (Not shown.) The said reservoir L is further provided with a series of air and liquid tight caps Z projecting from its upper side and located over the fillers D, one over each.

The fillers D consist of a tube (1 so plugged at its lower end as to provide a gradually-decreasing area or opening for the passage of liquid from the reservoir L, in order to finally direct the discharge to one side of the tube. The shape of the gradually-diminishing liqind-passageway is clearly shown in Fig. 4,

where it is denoted by d, the plug which closes the lower end of the tube being denoted by (F. \Vithin the tube d there is located an air-vent pipe,whieh, after it reaches a point some considerable distance above the lower end of the tube d-as, for example, the point d -is open through to the exterior of the tube d, as clearly represented in the cross section shown in Fig. 4, where the opening through to the OX- terior is denoted by d". The lower portion of the air-vent pipe is denoted by M and is of smaller diameter than the upper portion, (denoted by M,) the latter being extended up through the distributing-reservoir L and into one of the air and liquid tight caps Z.

The air-vent extends to a point a considerable distance below the point where the liquid-discharge terminates, so that the air within the bottle may be free to escape,when the filler is inserted in the mouth of the bottle before any liquid is permitted to enter the bottle.

Around the filler-tube (Z there is located a vertically-sliding sleeve N,whieh covers both the liquid-discharge and air-vent when in its lower or normal position, and as it is slid upwardly first opens the air-vent and afterward the liquid-discharge.

The sleeve N has fixed thereon a collar 72, which forms an abutment for the lower end of a coiled spring S,whicl1 surrounds the tube (Z, the upper end of said spring S bear-in g against an abutment a at the upper end of the tube. The tension of the spring S tends to hold tlie sleeve N depressed and both the air-vent and liquid-diseharge closed. Around the tube (1 there is also fixed a nut or screwthreaded collar n located in the present instance immediately below the collar 7t, and with this nut a an interior screw-threaded sleeve 0 is engaged,- which sleeve carries on its lowerend an upwardly and outwardly flaring support 0, against the lower or smaller end of which an elastic disk P rests. The elastic disk P is intended to close the mouth of the bottle, and the support 0 against which the disk P is pressed when the filler enters the mouth of the bottle, and is so shaped as to permit the elastic disk I to assume such shape as to perfectly conform to the rim at the top of the bottle, no matter what its irregularities may be, thereby securing an air-tight closure and at the same time preventing the disk from becoming wedged in the mouth of the bottle, an annoyance which has hitherto prevailed where the temporary closure was effected by a cork or plug which wedged itself into the mouth. It is intended that the disk P shall be of greater diameter than the opening in the mouth of the bottle, so as to cause it to rest on the rim, as distinguished from entering within the mouth.

The point at which the disk P shall engage the mouth of the bottle during the downward movement of the filler is determined by screwing the sleeve 0 up or down on the nut a thereby sliding the disk P farther away from or nearer to the lower'end of the filler.

A socket-piece Q, fixed to the abutment n beneath the distributing-reservoir L, may be made to loosely embrace the adjustable sleeve 0, although this is not essential to the successful operation of the filler.

The trouble which has heretofore prevailed from the filling of the air-vent tube to a greater or lesser extent with liquid during the operation of filling the'bottle has been completely overcome by the enlargement of the interior of the vent-tube intermediate of the point where the air enters and leaves the tube, since liquid which may creep up the portion of the tube of smaller diameter becomes suddenly expanded when it reaches the portion of the tube of larger diameter, and the air from beneath breaks through it and no longer carries it along up with the current of air, and when the tube is withdrawn any small portions of liquid which may have crept up that portion of the tube of smaller diameter will rush back into the bottle.

The possibility of liquid within the distributing-reservoir entering the top of the vent tubes is wholly avoided by extending their upper ends into air-tight caps Z at the top of the distributing reservoir, since no matter how completely filled the distributin g-reservoir may become, either intentionally or unintentionally, the moment the-liquid reaches the top of said reservoir it will begin to compress the air within the caps and will be held by the compressed air in such caps against any liability of rising to the tops of the venttubes.

The operation of the machine is briefly as follows: The bottles having been arranged in banks upon the carriage O and one of the banks brought beneath the range of fillers D, the fillers are caused to descend by foot-pressure upon the lever I. As the fillers enter the mouths of the bottles and engage the disks P with the tops of the bottles, the air-vent first and then the liquid-discharge will be opened and the bottles will be filled up to a point cor responding to'the lower end of the sleeve N, as this will be in effect the lower end of the vent and up to the point where it is closed the liquid may rise. hen the liquid is automatically cut off, the several fillers will be lifted from within the bottles, the air-vent and liquid-discharge being successively closed by the action of the spring S as the fillers are withdrawn. The return movement of the lever I has, in, the manner hereinabove fully set forth, advanced a second bank of bottles beneath the range of fillers, so that the lever I may be again depressed to fill a second bank of bottles, as described.

It will be observed that as the air-vent is open for a considerable distance from its lower end the point at which it will be closed and the discharge of the liquid arrested will depend upon the point where the bottom of the sleeve N is located while thefilling is taking place, and this may be varied by the adjustment of the disk P when nearer to or farther away from the lower end of the said sleeve N. There is thus provided a very effective and simple means of determining the height to which the liquid shall be permitted to rise in the neck of the bottle.

WVhat I claim is- 1. A filler comprising a liquid-conduit, an air-conduit extending to a point below the lower end of the liquid-conduit and means for successively opening the air and liquid conduits as the filler enters the mouth of a bottle, the point where the air-vent is cut off by the rising of the liquid in the bottle being variable with respect to the lower end of the filler, substantially as set forth.

2. A filler, comprising a liquid-conduit, an air-conduit extending alongside the liquidconduit and open at the side for a consider able distance from its lower end, a reciprocating sleeve forming a closure for the openings in the air and liquid conduits and means for operating the sleeve as the filler enters a bottle whereby the air and liquid conduits are opened and the height of the air-escape opening determined by the position of the said sleeve, substantially as set forth.

3. A filler, comprising a liquid-conduit, an air-conduit, a movable part for opening and closing said conduits, a flexible disk secured to said movable part for covering the mouth of a bottle when the filler enters it, and a support for the disk to hold it against the mouth of the bottle, said supportbeing spaced from the disk opposite that portion of the disk which is intended to engage the rim of the mouth of the bottle, substantially as set forth.

4. A filler, comprising a liquid-conduit, an air-conduit, a sliding sleeve fitted to surround said conduits, a screw-threaded collar fixed to said sleeve, an interior screw-threaded sleeve, a disk surrounding the sliding sleeve and a back-support for the disk carried by the said screw-threaded sleeve, substantially as set forth.

5. A filler adapted to enter an opening in a vessel and comprising a liquid-conduit, an air-conduit having a portion of a greater diameter than a lower portion whereby any liquid that may be caught therein will not clog the same, andmeans for closing the opening in the vessel around the filler in advance of the completion of the movement of the filler into the vessel and for opening and closing ICO the air and liquid conduits as the filler enters whereby liquid is prevented from entering said vents and a floatfor closing the air-vent in the reservoir, substantially as set forth.

7 The combination with the reciprocating 5 fillers and the bottle-supporting carriage, of

a main operating-lever for imparting motion to the fillers and carriage, a gravity-(log for advancing the carriage, a dog-operating lever having a loose engagement with the (log, and

.a yielding connection between the said dog 10 operating lever and the main operatin g-lever, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM MILES FOVLER. Witnesses:

IRENE B. DECKER, FREDK. I-IAYNEs. 

